Victorian milk run in old Pollok

Published:14:00Friday 04 September 2015

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The Boer War was in full swing, and Victoria’s reign was nearing its end, when this picture was taken at Nether Auldhouse Farm around 1900.

The milk seller’s cart is standing in the court for the horse to take a drink from the trough. Note the man with the cash bag over his shoulder and the barrels at the rear of the cart with taps for drawing off the contents. There’s a step attached to the nearer shaft for the man to climb up onto the driving seat, and is that a whip with a slightly bent handle parked at the footboard? Note too the boxed in water pump on the right with the handle on the nearside, the spout of which will be on the other side to direct the flow into the trough there. In the alcove there are two baskets of coal for the kitchen stove and a grape shovel with open tines for dross or earth to strain through.